Santa Pudenziana

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Main entrance of the church.

Close-up of Saint Pudentiana in the mosaic of the apse

Apse mosaic.

The basilica of Santa Pudenziana is a 4th century church in Rome, dedicated to Saint Pudentiana, sister of Saint Praxedis and daughter of Saint Pudens.

It has been suggested that there was no such person as Pudentiana, the name having originated as an adjective for the titulus of Pudens, which was mistaken for the name of a female by later generations.

Santa Pudenziana was built over a 2nd century house with a thermal facility. In the 4th century, the building was transformed into a three naves church. In the acts of the synod of 499, the church bears the titulus Pudentis, and therefore indicates that here the administration of the sacraments was allowed. The belltower was added in the 13th century, while restorations of 1588 transformed the three naves into a single one.

The Cardinal Priest of the Titulus S. Pudentianae is Joachim Meisner. Santa Pudenziana is the national church of the Philippines.